Chapter 8

Night fell under a bright moon and sparse stars, and lights came on throughout the courtyard.

The dishes were brought to the table one by one as they were finished. Everyone gathered around the dining table, raising their glasses to clink them together.

The glasses were filled with beverages from one of Ideal Times’ sponsors. The sly Director Yang had even stocked sponsored drinks in the commissary, but fortunately, their living allowance was sufficient, and they did not care about such small expenses.

Glasses clinked, cheers rang out, and the atmosphere grew lively.

Tonight’s dinner had still been cooked by Song Shuqi.

After two mishaps, Qiao Yanli no longer trusted his culinary skills, but in the end, he hadn’t stolen his spotlight. Once the fire was out, he returned to his corner and watched him finish the last dish, a fish soup.

Still, knowing full well that Song Shuqi’s cooking was subpar, he didn’t hold high hopes for the meal on the table.

The others were quite supportive, especially Chu Xinyue. She took the initiative to ladle a bowl of fish soup for everyone before finally serving herself. Holding the bowl, her eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. “My mom makes delicious fish soup, and it’s my absolute favorite. It’s just that I’m so busy with work that I rarely get to visit home, and I haven’t eaten her cooking in a long time.”

Song Shuqi said gently, “If you like it, I’ll make it for you again tomorrow.”

A flood of shipper comments scrolled across the screen.

【Qiyue is real!!】

【So sweet, so sweet! I officially ship it! An Immortal Lord who dotes on the Little Flower Demon and grants her every wish!】

Chu Xinyue lowered her head with a bashful smile at that, then took a sip of the fish soup with anticipation.

The fish soup was milky white and looked appetizing, and the fish appeared cleanly prepared. She hadn’t been lying; she truly missed her mother’s fish soup. Her fans knew her tastes, and when dining out, she often ordered this dish. Because she had eaten it so often, her standards for fish soup were quite high.

As the warm soup entered her mouth, she tasted it carefully.

Mmm… Huh?

A bit fishy?

Refusing to believe it, she took another sip…

Chu Xinyue slowly set down her bowl.

She said softly, “That wouldn’t be right. You worked so hard today and still cooked for us. It’s already exhausting, so it wouldn’t be good to trouble you every day.”

“It’s no trouble,” Song Shuqi said. “None of you know how to cook, so just leave it all to me from now on.”

“We can learn, though.” Chu Xinyue glanced toward the others for help. When she saw You Yinyin, her eyes lit up immediately. “Yinyin did great today.”

Praised, You Yinyin’s fighting spirit ignited as well. “Yeah, I can help out too! Brother Song, try my dish! I think I actually have a bit of talent for cooking!”

She had already eagerly invited everyone around her to taste it. Not only had the older members praised her, but even she felt she had performed beyond her usual standards this time.

“I’ll learn from more videos tonight,” You Yinyin said eagerly. “I found out that my favorite video creator not only makes delicious food, but also teaches really well.”

Qiao Yanli: “…”

“I don’t mind the hard work,” Song Shuqi insisted. “None of you have ever cooked before, so it’s better if I do it. I just wasn’t used to a new kitchen today, so it didn’t turn out great. Tomorrow will be fine.”

“Oh…” You Yinyin muttered, a little deflated. “All right, then…”

【Can’t Song Shuqi tell she’s turning him down?】

【To be fair, his food probably isn’t very good. Even though everyone praised him, hardly anyone reached for his dishes. There were barely any dishes to begin with, yet nobody’s touching them… Even Chu Xinyue said she loves fish soup, but she barely took a few sips…】

【My secondhand embarrassment is acting up. Who on earth hyped up his cooking skills?】

【He hyped himself up, obviously.】

【Qiao Yanli’s fans don’t need to be so bitter, posing as passersby to stir up drama. Our Song Song just wasn’t used to the new kitchen!】

【Huh? Where did Qiao Yanli go?】

Although the food tasted mediocre, the group was chatting animatedly and exchanging warm pleasantries. The atmosphere was lively, so nobody noticed that someone had quietly slipped away.

The viewers in the livestream, however, saw it plain as day.

Qiao Yanli didn’t talk much. He merely listened attentively when others spoke and chimed in occasionally, the exact opposite of the socially adept Song Shuqi.

He suddenly stood up and left, his movements very quiet. You Yinyin looked up at him briefly, but didn’t think much of it, so she didn’t notice him entering the kitchen either.

He took the remaining ingredients from the refrigerator, bought a bag of dried chili peppers from the production crew, and quickly began prepping them.

【Is Qiao Yanli going to cook?】

【What does he mean by this? He didn’t help when Song Shuqi was cooking earlier, and now he’s deliberately going against Song Shuqi?】

【Are you blind, commenter above? How did Qiao Yanli not help? He did more than half the work! If not for him, Song Shuqi would’ve nearly burned the kitchen down, and you call that not helping? Song Shuqi was way too overconfident and rejected anyone else who offered to help, okay?】

【So just how bad is Song Shuqi’s cooking that even Qiao Yanli can’t pretend anymore…】

Sizzle-

The chilies hit the hot oil, and a bold, mouthwatering aroma burst forth with the stir-frying. It quickly drifted out of the kitchen, gradually reaching everyone chatting in the living room.

“What’s that smell?” Wan Yu was the first to catch the aroma in the air. Immediately after, she noticed, “Where’s Xiao Qiao?”

“Seems like someone’s in the kitchen?”

“Who went into the kitchen?!”

Only then did everyone realize that Qiao Yanli had disappeared unnoticed. Following the scent, they indeed found him in the kitchen.

Qiao Yanli worked quickly. In just a short while, he had already finished two dishes, with a stir-fried seasonal vegetable currently in the wok. As everyone walked in, he was just plating the dish.

“Xiao Qiao?!” Wan Yu looked at him in disbelief. “You made all of this?”

“Mm.” Qiao Yanli picked up two plates. “Yinyin, give me a hand.”

“Huh?” You Yinyin blinked, then quickly reacted, her eyes sparkling as she came over to take the plates.

All three dishes looked exceptionally appetizing, especially the two spicy ones, their tantalizing aroma enough to make anyone’s mouth water. The stir-fried seasonal greens were vibrant and tender, looking crisp and juicy.

The moment they were set on the table, they instantly overshadowed the previous dishes.

“I remembered Sister Yu likes spicy food, and Teacher Tu is from the Sichuan-Chongqing region^[1].” But none of the dishes Song Shuqi made were spicy, and neither of them had touched much of the food, which was why Qiao Yanli had stepped into the kitchen to make two dishes. He explained, “I saw that the food wasn’t to your taste.”

Wan Yu was pleasantly surprised. “After all this time, you still remember my tastes?!”

“Did you forget, Sister Yu?” Qiao Yanli gave a faint smile. “We worked together before and had meals together.”

Wan Yu felt touched. They really had collaborated in the past, but that was two or three years ago; she hadn’t expected Qiao Yanli to remember. Tu Sheng was even more surprised that Qiao Yanli knew so much about him, feeling deeply flattered.

Qiao Yanli said apologetically, “I hope you don’t mind that I acted on my own.”

“Not at all, not at all.” Wan Yu laughed heartily, reaching her chopsticks straight for the stir-fried beef with chili peppers. She found it tastier than anything she usually ate, though without overthinking it, she assumed the contrast with the other dishes made it stand out. She exclaimed repeatedly, “Xiao Qiao, with skills like yours, I’m in for a real treat over the next few days!”

Seeing all this, Song Shuqi asked stiffly, “Qiao Yanli, didn’t… didn’t you say earlier that you didn’t know how to cook?”

Qiao Yanli nodded, his expression unchanging. “I’m not particularly good at it.”

“Then…”

“These just happen to be the few I know.”

“…”

【Song Shuqi, stop asking. Any more and he won’t be able to keep up the act.】

【Don’t criticize him, everyone! Qiao Yanli just happens to know how to cook a little, and happens to do it better than everyone else, that’s all.】

【His wok-tossing technique is even smoother than the cook at the street food stall downstairs! Unless Qiao Yanli claims he stepped away from the industry for the past two years to work as a prep cook and a wok tosser, I refuse to believe he can’t cook!】

【Hahahahaha, prep cook is one thing, but what on earth is a wok tosser!】

【Aww, Qiao Yanli is so thoughtful. He even noticed that the food didn’t suit everyone’s tastes. He might not talk much or know how to schmooze, but he puts his heart into everything he does, quietly helping everyone out. He’s so earnest.】

【Did anyone notice You Yinyin? Isn’t she eating a bit too much, hahahaha! She doesn’t seem to handle spicy food well either, her lips are all red from the spice.】

【Stop scolding her, stop scolding her! Our Yinyin just can’t walk away whenever she sees good food. As a fan, let me scold her first: You Yinyin, do you even remember your figure management anymore?!】

After the meal, the table was left in disarray with empty dishes, everyone stuffed and content.

Exhausted from a long day, the group took turns heading off to wash up and shower. But the livestream cameras were still rolling. Wan Yu turned on the karaoke mode on the large living room TV, and she and Tu Sheng each took a microphone, singing an affectionate duet together.

She had started out as a singer, and Tu Sheng had a deep, resonant voice that wasn’t half bad. With the mood set by the two of them, the others joined in, passing the microphones around one after another. You Yinyin came from a girl group, and with the audition survival show having just wrapped up in the first half of the year, her popularity was still riding high. Still dressed in her pajamas, she danced to the theme song for everyone.

The others clapped enthusiastically while Qiao Yanli sat at the digital piano, smiling as he provided accompaniment. The live chat was just as lively, with many viewers reminiscing about watching the survival show, sending waves of cheers in the comments and confessing their love for their idols.

Amid the bustling excitement, Song Shuqi was the last to return from his shower. He grabbed a book and sat down on an armchair nearby.

Instead of joining the others in singing, he held the book and read intently. He was clearly engrossed in the story, his brow furrowing at the protagonist’s trials from time to time before relaxing again, his expressions shifting with the plot.

Intentionally or not, the book’s cover was turned right toward the camera, clearly visible to the audience.

Others might not have recognized it, but Qiao Yanli knew it at a single glance.

It was a physical copy of 《Entering the Mortal Realm》, published just a year ago. He even had a set on his own bookshelf.

The production crew for 《Entering the Mortal Realm》 had already begun casting, but the male lead had yet to be chosen. Bringing the book out to read right at this moment clearly carried an ulterior motive.

Sure enough.

People in the live chat were already beginning to notice the book in his hands, and mentions of 《Entering the Mortal Realm》 started popping up.

【What is Songsong reading? Is that 《Entering the Mortal Realm》? I can’t believe my idol and I are reading the same book!】

【Is Entering the Mortal Realm about to start filming? Has the male lead been chosen yet?】

【As a novel fan, I actually think Song Shuqi would be a great fit. His last drama was also a xianxia^[2], and he matches the male lead I imagined really well.】